THE SOUND OF MUSIC National Tour Takes to the Hills, Opening Tonight in Los Angeles

A brand new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic THE SOUND OF MUSIC launches its national tour at the Center Theatre Group / Ahmanson Theatre tonight, September 30 at 8 p.m. Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, this lavish new production is currently in previews. The production closes in Los Angeles on October 31, 2015, and will then tour North America for multiple seasons, playing multi-week and week- long engagements.

Ben Davis (Broadway's "Violet," "A Little Night Music," "La Bohème") plays Captain Georg von Trapp and Ashley Brown (Broadway's "Mary Poppins," NBC's "The Sound of Music") plays The Mother Abbess with Merwin Foard as Max Detweiler, Teri Hansen as Elsa Schraeder, Dan Tracy as Rolf and Paige Silvester as Liesl. The von Trapp children are played by Erich Schuett (Friedrich), Maria Knasel (Louisa), Quinn Erickson (Kurt), Svea Johnson(Brigitta), Mackenzie Currie (Marta) and Audrey Bennett (Gretl). Jack O'Brien introduces his brand new discovery,Kerstin Anderson, as Maria Rainer. A current student at Pace University, Anderson won the coveted role from hundreds who auditioned. This is her first national tour.

The ensemble includes Carey Rebecca Brown, Ronald L. Brown, Ca?itli?n Burke, Christopher Carl, Kyla Carter, Austin Colby, Daniella Dalli, Elisabeth Evans, Donna Garner, Meghan Hales, Jenavene Hester, Adam Hill, Jeremy Michael Lanuti, Darren Matthias, Kelly McCormick, Julia Osborne, Andrea Ross, Brent Schindele, Jim Schubin and Aviva Winick.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by "The Trapp Family Singers" by Maria Augusta Trapp. This new production is directed by Jack O'Brien (credits include "Hairspray," "The Full Monty," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," "The Coast of Utopia"), and choreographed by Danny Mefford ("Fun Home," "The Bridges of Madison County," "Bloody BloodyAndrew Jackson").

The design and production team is comprised of Douglas W. Schmidt, set design (Tony Award® nominee: "42nd Street," "Into the Woods"); Jane Greenwood, costume design (2014 recipient of Special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre); Natasha Katz, lighting design (five-time Tony Award® winner: "An American in Paris," "Once," "Aida," "The Coast of Utopia," "The Glass Menagerie"); and Ken Travis, sound design ("Aladdin," "Newsies," "Memphis").

THE SOUND OF MUSIC enjoyed extraordinary success as the first live television production of a musical in over 50 years when THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE! aired on NBC in December, 2013; 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the film version, which continues to be the most successful movie musical in history. The spirited, romantic and beloved musical story of Maria and the Von Trapp Family will once again thrill audiences with such songs as "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "Edelweiss" and the title song.

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy